Rudy Giuliani says Obama's sanctions are 'petty little actions' that 'don't mean very much'
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani thinks the real purpose of President Obama's recently announced sanctions on Russia is not to punish the country for its cyber activity, but to cause problems for President-elect Donald Trump. While on Fox & Friends on Friday morning, Giuliani called out Obama's "petty little actions" as a way to take "tremendous leverage" away from Trump, who has expressed interest in improving relations with Russia.
"Petty little actions like this don't mean very much," Giuliani said of Obama's sanctions against Russian individuals and entities thought to be involved in interfering in the U.S. presidential election on Trump's behalf. "It's almost a mockery to say this is too little too late," Giuliani added. "It should have been done 10 months ago, 11 months ago, 12 months ago. If it is really true, the response should be much stronger."
Giuliani advised Trump to get a second opinion when he takes office, rather than trust the intelligence coming from the Obama administration. "There's no question that the intelligence that President Obama has been getting has either been incompetent or politicized," Giuliani said. Once Trump figures out for himself who is to blame, Giuliani recommended the U.S. "bang them back really hard."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Watch Giuliani's full interview below. Becca Stanek
A free daily email with the day’s biggest news and analysis – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Explore your latest briefing
-
-
talking pointsLivestreaming an execution: cruelty or added deterrent? -
QUOTE OF THE DAY‘You don’t get to take a man from his family. You don’t get to take his very life, his whole future from him, and just walk away from it. Especially when that man is Tupac Shakur.’
-
today’s big questionCan a Democrat win the Texas governor’s race?
-
Explore your latest briefing
-
-
talking pointsLivestreaming an execution: cruelty or added deterrent? -
QUOTE OF THE DAY‘You don’t get to take a man from his family. You don’t get to take his very life, his whole future from him, and just walk away from it. Especially when that man is Tupac Shakur.’
-
today’s big questionCan a Democrat win the Texas governor’s race?
-